An Exercise in Life: Prequel
by FatesMistake
Summary: Some people requested background on why Harry wasn't as close to R/H in An Exercise in Life. This is a small look entirely from Harry's POV about his friendship with Draco and the distance within the Golden Trio. As a bonus, there's a little follow-up on what happened after Exercise in Life ended. Rating for some dirty language.


Harry ran his fingers distractedly through his hair as he moved down the train corridor. He'd excused himself only a few minutes ago from the compartment he'd been sharing with Neville and his other bunk mates, telling them he needed some air. In reality, he couldn't cope with the smug, self-confident immaturity that they seemed to flaunt and that he wished he had. Since Voldemort's defeat the previous year he'd been finding it harder and harder to concentrate on the little things boys his age should be consumed by. His changing body wasn't too much surprise, his aunt had warned him about most of it when he was little with a stern "so don't come to me crying when you have your nasty little freak problems when you're older" thrown in at the end. Grades were still a priority, as was whatever the hell he was going to do with the rest of his life, but they seemed more approachable than any of the other boys made them out to be. He just couldn't seem to connect with his friends on their level. Girls? No thanks. He'd figured out he was gay when Ron pointed it out casually over the summer. Luckily, none of the lads had said anything about it, everyone but him apparently being aware of it already. That had led to boys, and Harry was questioning his sanity, or at least if he had any hormones in his body, as he'd never really had the infamous wet dream Seamus bragged about, had never even wanked outside of the simple desire to do so, and didn't think he was overly attracted to any guys he'd met thus far. The Boy Wonder looked up suddenly as he heard a giggle next to him. He turned to see Luna standing in the door to a compartment.

"Hey," He muttered. She just smiled and turned around, gesturing him to come into the apartment with a wispy air that reminded him strongly of a fairy. Idly, he wondered if there wasn't some fairy blood in her ancestry as he followed her in and closed the class door. He glanced to the bench opposite the one Luna had sat at. "Hey, Malfoy, Ginny," He greeted morosely.

Ginny shot up from where she'd been laying with her head in Malfoy's lap. "Harry, what a surprise, what're you…" She trailed off, darting scared glances between Harry and her apparent boyfriend.

"Relax, Gin, your boyfriend is your business, and Ron can eat snorcack horn if he doesn't like that," Harry told the girl reassuringly. He slumped in his seat and leaned his head back against the headrest. After a few moments he leaned his head forward just enough to crack an eye to look at the blond across from him. "Good summer, Malfoy?"

The Slytherin raised a preened eyebrow at the familiarity in the question, but shrugged after a few seconds. "Fair enough. Spent nearly the whole summer with my Dad, learning the tricks of the family trade and such. Turns out most of what my father does all day is schmooze and spend money to look good for the public."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "That sounds really boring."

Malfoy nodded sagely. "Incredibly, you have no idea. How was your summer?"

Harry shrugged. "Found out I was gay, came into my full inheritance making me the richest bachelor in the Wizarding World, had another fight with Ron."

It was Malfoy's turn to wrinkle his nose. "Sounds like your summer was worse than mine. Ginny mentioned the argument in the Golden Trio. What's the Weasel's problem this time?"

"Dunno, something to do with being a terrible friend for not helping him financially over the years when I knew his family struggled," Harry mumbled tiredly. "He refused to accept the fact that I couldn't possibly know I had such a substantial inheritance coming my way. I honestly thought I was already living off my inheritance. Apparently, it was meant to be spending money for school, and I should have been sending any bills for school supplies to Gringotts. The upshot, is the Goblins think I'm terribly money conscious, despite whatever Ron says about me being a miser.

"You guys'll bounce back, Harry," Ginny soothed as she laid her head back in Malfoy's lap. "You always do."

Harry sat forward and put his elbows on his knees, rubbing at his temples. "I don't know if I want us to, Gin. I look back over the years and I see just how much of a self-centered prat your brother is; I don't think we've been really friends for a while. I mean he ditches me constantly over the dumbest things, Hermione, too, and he's almost never the first one to apologize, and never ever without some serious prodding from someone outside the group. He needs to grow up."

"Well, duh," Malfoy breathed. "I've been trying to tell you for years, Potter, you've got to choose your friends better. Is that what's bothering you?" He asked, pulling a bar of Fortescue's Never-Melt Chocolate from his pocket and feeding it to Ginny in small pieces.

Harry looked at him, raising an amused eyebrow past the fingers still rubbing at his temples. "Am I that obvious?"

Malfoy snickered, but said seriously, "Only when you want to be."

Harry huffed and laid out on the bench, disrupting Luna's perusal of the most recent copy of the Quibbler as he set his head in her lap. The girl smiled down at him and set the mag aside, moving her fingers to run soothingly through his hair. "To be honest, it's not bothering me as much as I thought it would. I mean, yeah, he's one of my oldest friends, but I've sort of been coming to this for a while. What's really getting to me is this whole gay thing. I mean, I know that everyone has apparently known for a year or so, but what am I supposed to do with it? I've never been as hormonal as any of the boys in my dorm, so how do I know if I'm not just…sexually incapable?"

"To be fair, you've had quite a bit more to concentrate on in your adolescence than who has the cutest bum in our class," Malfoy pointed out. "You're not incapable, Potter, you'd know if you were, you were just preoccupied through the majority of the hormonal shite, and, unsurprisingly, you've probably matured enough because of that that you won't have most of the aftermath. Any crushes at all?"

Harry turned his head slightly to smirk at the other boy. "Like I'd tell you, ya knob," He teased. The Slytherin threw half of the chocolate bar in his hands in retaliation. Harry took a bite. "Thanks," He mumbled past the chocolate. "But seriously, I haven't got any real interest in anyone, not since Cho, and now I know why that was so decidedly a disaster. Haven't really had time to think about it beyond a simple 'yeah, he's cute' for some of the guy's in our year. I definitely don't want to look at any of the younger years, either, 'cause I can barely handle the immaturity from our own age group."

Luna leaned over and kissed the Gryffindor's forehead and Harry felt the migraine he'd had dissolve, making him wonder again about potential fairy blood. "Maybe you should look outside of the students," She suggested mildly.

"Yeah," Ginny piped up. "Hogwarts is only a small part of the Wizarding community, really. You may have to wait until you graduate to meet someone, but what are a few months if you can be happy afterwards, right? It'll give you time to figure out your type."

Luna winked at Harry. "Not what I meant, but you _would _have to wait until you graduated, or were near enough to it."

Malfoy scoffed. "You mean a teacher? But they're all old and pompous, except for my Uncle Sev and Professor Vector."

Ginny reached up and smacked her boyfriend's arm. "They aren't old, they're just old_er_, and maybe that's what Harry needs. I mean if he looked for someone just a little order than him, he'd still have mostly the same problem he's having with the guys in your year. Maybe older is what's best for him, and if they _are_ pompous, it gives him an excuse to let his inner child out every once in awhile. And what do you mean Snape isn't old and pompous, he's the worst of the lot!"

Malfoy opened his mouth to retort, but Harry spoke first. "He's not old, he's younger than Malfoy's dad, and he isn't really pompous, just snide and sarcastic, which is a good thing in a Potions instructor. If we weren't all scared to death of him, we'd all blow up a lot more cauldrons. The only reason the Slytherins are immune is because he expects better from his House than to behave like the dunderheads he says the rest of us are."

Malfoy looked surprised. "You've been doing a lot of thinking this past summer, haven't you, Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess, yeah. Had time without Ron harping me about playing chess or Quidditch, or whatever, and because of all the Defense homework I had a lot of time to let my mind wander while I worked. One thing your godfather is good at is assigning buckets of homework. Plus, it's always nice to see the look on someone's face when I say something thought provoking." He grinned as Ginny through another piece of chocolate at him. "Thanks. And by the way, Malfoy, my names Harry, so long as we're being chummy. I doubt we could continue being friends openly without risking the exposure of you and Gin, but I wouldn't mind being friends while we can. Be nice to have someone I can talk to on my level that isn't harping on me about homework every ten seconds." He glanced at Malfoy apprehensively.

The blonde shrugged and held out his hand. "Draco," He said with a smile. Harry grinned and reached out to shake the hand. "Who knows, maybe we can meet sometimes to talk and study while the other two-thirds of your trio are occupied or patrolling."

Harry nodded, then frowned. "Wait, why aren't you in the Prefect's compartment? Hermione said all the Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl would be there the whole train ride because of some suggestions Snape made about changing the patrol system. You're Head Boy, right?"

The Slytherin shook his head. "I gave up the mantle. I decided I needed to concentrate on my studies, and Dumbledore gave it to a Ravenclaw instead. I'm going to be inheriting a veritable empire when my father retires; I'm going to need my grades more than I need the power and responsibilities of Head Boy. Malfoy power isn't direct like that; it's more subtle control, which I already have over most of the school."

The brunette nodded, settling into the soothing touch of Luna's fingers in his midnight-black hair. "Makes sense…guess I'm not the only one who grew up this summer."

Draco grinned. "Guess not." The four settled into a comfortable silence for the remainder of the train ride.

_Friends_

The door slammed with a satisfying crack as Harry walked into the Room of Requirement for his and Malfoy's weekly meeting, and Harry felt some of the tension leave his shoulders, somewhat sure the room had amplified the sound for his benefit.

"I'm going to kill that red-haired, freckle-faced twat nose," He growled, sitting in the chair opposite his secret friend.

"What'd he do now?" Draco asked without looking up from his Transfiguration text.

Harry reached into his bag and pulled out his homework texts. "He tried to ask me for money, and we got into a fight."

That grabbed the other boy's attention, and Draco looked up. "He didn't really? I thought you two were just starting to get along again."

Harry sighed, scratching the scars on the back of his hand subconsciously as he grabbed his quill. "Yeah, he did. He wants to propose to Hermione when we graduate in a few months, and he asked if he could 'borrow' a couple hundred galleons for her ring. I'd already been pissed after Potions, because Clark is a moron and almost makes me miss Slughorn he's so bad at the subject, and I asked Ron why I should if I wasn't the one marrying the girl. He started in on me about being stingy, we had a small row, and now he's vowed to never be my friend again. He told Hermione we fought over me not buying anyone anything for Christmas."

Draco frowned. "But she knows that isn't true, she was with you when you bought most of your presents. And even if she hadn't been, Holidays are only a few days away and she'd have found out then."

"I know, but it also meant I was attacked by Hermione in her search for the truth. It took me three hours to calm her down enough to let me make up my own lie." The Gryffindor leaned back as he looked over his Charms essay. "I told her Ron was pissed because I said I thought Charlie, his older brother, is a sexy bloke."

"Why not tell her the truth?" Draco asked, returning to his own work.

Harry shrugged as he added a few lines of conclusion to the essay, since he'd practically finished it at lunch. "Because that wouldn't just hurt Ron, it would break Hermione's heart if she knew he was using her as a way to con money from me. She hasn't done anything to deserve that." He looked over the diagram McGonagall had requested as her homework, then set it aside, deeming it was good enough even if it wasn't a Michelangelo.

"She deserves the truth, Harry, about the boy she's seeing, and potentially going to marry," Draco told him.

Harry frowned and pulled out his Potions assignment, half done. "What are you, my conscience? She's a smart girl, and she knows he's been hounding me for money. If she can't connect all the dots, then that's her problem. I'm not going to hold her hand and tell her who is 'okay' to date, I'm not her mother." Draco raised his hands in mock surrender. "What was the answer for number 6 on Clark's homework?

"Amphipolis Triclinium."

Harry glanced at the other boy. "Yeah, I got that, but what was the answer Clark is looking for?"

Draco chuckled. "Artyphis Atrium."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Where does he get these ridiculous notions? Does he intentionally mark us wrong for the right answer just to see whose paying attention to his lectures, do you think?"

The Slytherin smirked. "If he were, you'd have failed ages ago. I don't think you've paid attention since his first utterly horrendous lecture."

The brunette shrugged distractedly. "I have selective hearing loss when it comes to bullshit."

"Then you must go deaf every time you open your mouth," Draco ribbed. He let out a startled _'oof'_ when the room dropped a large, plush pillow on top of him. "One day you're going to tell me how you do that. So, any crushes?"

Harry smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know? Let me finish this homework really quick."

"Last time I did that I left here without an answer," Draco retorted poutily. "You're just copying my answers, anyway, Harry, so spill."

Harry looked up, furrowing his brow in an exasperated frown. "Honestly, Draco, it's nothing. It'll never be anything more than a one-sided crush, so it doesn't matter."

Draco sat forward excitedly. "So there is a crush, I knew it. You've been so distracted lately, that could have been the only answer. Who is it? How serious are you about him?"

Harry rubbed his neck uncomfortably and set his work aside for the moment. "To be honest, I think it's developing into a full-blown infatuation, rather than a crush…It- It's Snape…he's just got this air, and I'm starting to see what used to be flaws in his personality as really cute, defining quirks. I think he's funny when he's sarcastic, which is weird, and even though a year ago I would've called him unattractive it's become impossible for me to think of him as anything but a gorgeous man with distinguished features. I look at his hair, his nose, his teeth and I…I can't think of them as even being individually unattractive, I just think of them each as a part of the sexy-as-hell whole."

"Aww, you're falling in love," Draco cooed teasingly. Another pillow landed squarely on his head, making him chuckle as Harry glared. "All right, I'm sorry. But I'm glad you've started showing interest in someone, I was beginning to worry you maybe were sexually incapable."

Harry chuckled and moved his homework back into his lap. "No comments on who that someone is, then?"

The Slytherin sat back in his own chair as a tea service appeared on the low table between them. "Not really, no…Uncle Sev deserves to be happy, and I think if anyone could get him to loosen up even the slightest bit, it'd be you. After all, no one gets under his skin like you do, especially since the start of term. I mean, just last week he gave you a detention for breathing too loud while we were taking the quiz, and you aren't even a mouth breather. If you ask me, it's 'cause he wanted to spend some time with you."

Harry blushed. "Er…you think so?" Draco nodded definitively. "I wasn't going to say anything, because I didn't think it meant anything, but after I finished cleaning all the ink stains off the desks, we talked for an hour about my schooling and what some of my options were for after Hogwarts. He even said I'd do well in his position as DADA professor, assuming I could pass the exams over the Summer."

"Did you talk about anything else?" Draco prodded, looking slightly amused.

The brunette scratched his neck idly as he thought back. "Yeah, he asked after what was going on with me and Ron, and why Hermione didn't seem to be making her usual effort to keep us together. I…I told him the truth, which I hadn't planned on, and even explained that Hermione is confused about how to approach us. Her parents are rich, which I'm sure comes as a surprise you, so she's trying to be delicate and not make Ron feel bad about being poor. Plus, she thinks she's in love and she's afraid to ruin what they have by pushing him too hard."

Draco smiled softly. "What'd he say?"

"He…" Harry stopped, trying to recall the conversation. "He said Hermione was apparently not as smart as he'd given her credit for over the years, and pointed out that you'd warned me about Ron way back at the beginning. I told him I knew, but he couldn't expect me to start befriending ferrets just because the weasel starts biting."

"You didn't say that!" Draco exclaimed in shock.

Harry chuckled again and nodded. "He just sort of growled after that and told me I was dismissed."

Draco looked a bit apprehensive as he chewed his lip. "You know we could tell him about me and you being friends, right? I told him about me and Ginny, and he's really good at keeping secrets."

Harry shrugged and curled up further as he frowned at the work in his lap. "I know, but maybe I don't want him knowing all my secrets. I mean, I don't know everything about him; why does my being infatuated give him the right to know everything about me?"

Draco raised his hands again in mock surrender and they sat silently for a few minutes. "Are you going to tell him? If nothing else, it might be worth it to see the shock on his face."

Harry smirked and glanced at the Slytherin over his knees. "Maybe…"

_Friends_

"I didn't expect you to be here…" Harry said uncertainly as he and Ginny walked into the Room of Requirement.

Draco looked up from the desk he'd been sitting at. "Secret trysts with my girl, Potter?" He teased with a raised eyebrow. Harry rolled his eyes as he and Ginny set up chairs at the desk, which morphed into a common table. "No, I know you're here to get away and talk; it's why I'm here. The whole of Slytherin is obsessing over this last Defense assignment, even the younger years because they think Snape'll probably assign it for them when they're Seventh Years, and I had to escape the stifling silence. Plus, Crabbe and Goyle keep trying to talk about it, and the sound of their mouths opening and closing and the scribbling of the quills that won't write was giving me a headache. You have to admit, when my godfather casts a secrecy spell, he's bloody thorough."

Ginny snickered as Harry set his bag down and pulled out his file to make any revisions to his papers. "Imagine that, a spy being good with secrets," She mumbled sarcastically. "Dumbledore cornered us in the hall to offer Harry the Potions position again, since you won't take it. He's gotten really persistent. What're you doing for the assignment, Dray? Harry already told me his plan, which is damn good if you ask me."

Draco smirked. "I'm turning in a basic gag answer about trying to get as far as possible with whichever prospective partner, but really I'm doing the same as Harry. I'm going to wing it with the partner, and then there's the letter I told you about. Everything else is being handled by Gringotts."

Ginny frowned as Harry scratched out some detail in his will. "How do you know what Harry's doing, I thought you couldn't discuss it?"

"We were the one's who gave Snape the idea," Harry told her distractedly as he looked over the letters.

The girl looked even more confused than before and Draco explained. "We were talking about the Auror corps, since both of us had thought we wanted to be one before the Dark Lord's fall," He said mildly. "We were both a little curious about the potion that they use, and I asked Uncle Sev about it after one of our classes while Harry was 'coincidentally' still packing his stuff. The three of us got into a short conversation about the practicality of that for defense in general, rather than just in Auror training, and afterwards Harry and I wound up talking about what we'd do."

Harry smirked as he looked up from his file, where he was writing yet another letter. "Tell her what we said we'd do if we got paired."

Draco chuckled. "We're going to expose ourselves."

"What?" Ginny squeaked, looking scandalized.

Harry looked at Draco sharply. "What did you say to her?" The blonde shrugged and Harry sighed, looking at the girl he thought of as a younger sister. "Whatever it was, he's probably misrepresenting us or outright pulling your chain, Gin. We're going to reveal our friendship in a way, because we're going to treat the exercise like it's real. We even found some Occlumency exercises we can do so that we _actually_ think it's real while it's happening, with a vague recollection of the assignment so we don't get carried away. It'll let us act on impulse without being nervous or feeling like dolts afterward. Draco's going to put that information in is his written assignment, but I'm not, or Snape'll think we collaborated somehow."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Ginny asked worriedly. "What if neither of you get paired together, or what if even one of you gets paired with someone you really don't like?"

"We're both pretty confident in that during a fight to the death we'll consider an ally as just that, no matter who they are," Draco told her softly. "Besides, we've been doing some simulated fights here in the room for awhile, when we were practicing the Occlumency technique, and we figured out that we have enough hold on reality to quit the warped reality whenever we want, if we see ourselves about to do something dangerous. Basically, the technique will allow us to push forward our fight response, which is mostly instinct, and watch it consciously from another part of our mind. Get it? No one's going to get hurt."

"Well, except for me," Harry mumbled, stuffing his file back into his bag. "I only caught that last sentence, but if you remember we already discussed what might happen when 'Mione and Ron find out we're friends."

Ginny grimaced. "Yeah, that's not going to be pretty…" The three sat in silent and morose thought for a moment before she spoke up excitedly. "Defer the blame!" She said happily. "It's about time Draco and I went public, so if you get paired, then tell them _why_ you became friends and why you decided to hide it. I can deal with Ron, and when he gets pissed off at me, Hermione will take my side. You won't have to suffer half as bad, most likely."

Harry grinned and ruffled the young witch's hair. "Good point, Gin. It's not a guarantee, but at least I'll have someone else to suffer with, yeah?"

Ginny swatted at his hand, but smiled fondly at her surrogate brother, recognizing the praise for what it was. "Draco and I were going to tell at Graduation anyway, and this seems near enough at least."

Harry froze suddenly. "Near enough?" He said quietly, his eyes glazing over slightly.

Draco frowned. "Yeah…Sev'll be taking our grades down as we go through the exercise, and we'll be practically home free, at least from the teachers and their assignments. At most, we'll have one last homework assignment from all of the professors, then we'll just be here for NEWT's, which is the Ministry's test, not the schools. Why, does that mean anything?"

Harry refocused his eyes and smiled reassuringly at his two closest friends. "Probably nothing, I was just remembering something someone said about graduation. Nothing to worry about. How's Luna been doing, Gin? I haven't seen a lot of her this last month."

Ginny seemed a little put off, exchanging a look with her Slytherin boyfriend, but took the bait and launched into an explanation about Luna being preoccupied with writing an essay to get awarded an internship in the Infirmary for her Seventh Year. As she prattled on about the details Luna was struggling with, Harry sent Draco a sly look, conveying some unidentifiable communication. Draco smirked happily as they both turned their attention fully to the girl between them.

_Friends_

Harry blushed when he left the classroom to see Draco and Ginny waiting impatiently. "Hey guys, whatcha doin'?" He asked nervously, scratching at the scars on his hand out of habit.

"Did you tell him?" Ginny squeaked in excitement. "Draco told me what he thought you were planning and I ran straight here after Charms. Luna wanted to come, but she had to stay and talk with Professor Flitwick about that internship essay, get his permission to turn it in and stuff."

"I'm here," Luna said, walking dreamily down the hall at a faster than normal pace. "Professor Flitwick thinks I'm a good shot for the apprenticeship."

"That's fantastic, Luna!" Harry said. "Let's go to the kitchens to celebrate!" He started to walk off, but Draco grabbed the back of his collar with the hand that wasn't wrapped around Ginny's waist.

"Nice try, Potter, we've been waiting going on twenty minutes. Come on, tell us? Or do you want to go to the kitchens to get some ice cream to nurse your broken heart?" The Slytherin asked with sudden false clarity.

Harry ducked his head, pulling at his collar in an attempt to break free of the manicured grip. "No, Draco, I…"

"What's are you doing? Malfoy, unhand Mister Potter. You're a Slytherin, and Slytherins do not manhandle people." A deep, gravelly voice demanded from the doorway to the classroom Harry had just left.

Harry flinched, and Draco released him, stepping up to his Godfather with anger written on his face. "What did you say to him?" The blonde demanded angrily.

"Draco, stop, he-"

"Hush, Harry, I'm trying to defend your honor," Draco shushed.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the corridor wall. "Great, now I'm a damsel in distress."

Draco turned and looked at him. "See, you admit you're distressed!" He rounded on his godfather again. "What did you do to him, Uncle Sev? He'd be great for you! Sure he's a little bit of a dolt…"

"Oi!" Harry said indignantly, standing up straighter.

Draco ignored him. "But he's got a good heart, and he's really intelligent despite what you think. You're probably giving up the one thing in this world that could make you happy!" Snape looked over Draco's head and caught Harry's eye, raising a single eyebrow in question.

Harry smirked. "I didn't answer immediately because I wasn't sure how you'd feel about your business being aired to the world…or my best friends, rather. Draco assumed the worst."

A look of understanding crossed Snape's features, and the dour man looked his fuming godson in the eye. "Draco, you're behaving like the Weasley boy." The Potions Master glanced at the red head standing off to the side, but Ginny only nodded and shrugged. Snape moved past Draco and approached Harry, who smiled and chewed his lip nervously.

"I hope this doesn't put a damper on our plans for tonight?" The raven-haired teen questioned hopefully.

Snape smirked, glanced at Harry's assembled friends, and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on the boy's lips. "No. I will meet you at The Three Broomsticks, and we'll walk to the restaurant from there. I may be late by a few minutes, obviously, as you know how Albus can talk when he's excited."

Harry shrugged and pulled on a lock of his professor's hair. "If you get it out of the way now we'll have more time to talk tonight." He smiled happily. "Three Broomsticks at 5, right?" Snape nodded and stepped away, moving down the corridor with a small, nearly imperceptible smile. Harry looked at his friends when he'd gone, all three of whom were staring after the Defense instructor in shock.

"Merlin's shorts, he was smiling," Draco said softly.

That seemed to break the tension, and Luna and Ginny tackled Harry in a group hug. "I'm so happy for you, Harry!" Ginny squealed excitedly. "You guys are going to be so happy together!" She stopped for a moment, then squealed again. "Oh Merlin, I'm going to be adoptively related to Snape! The twins are going to faint when I tell them!"

Harry huffed as the girl squeezed him tightly. "Gin…Gin, leggo, you're cutting off my air supply." The girl backed away sheepishly. Harry rubbed is his freshly bruised ribs. "Your Weasley is showing, Gin. It's just a date, so we can talk about where we stand and where we might go from here, not to mention he's going to give me some advice on teaching Defense, since he's going back to Potions next term. You're talking like we're getting married."

Luna smiled mystically from where she was hugging Harry's arm. "Who knows?" She asked dreamily, placing a light kiss on the Gryffindors cheek. "Hogwarts might yet see the next generation of Potter's and Snape's."

Harry's eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he looked down at the girl in surprise, but she only smiled back vacantly. He shook his head. "You think?" He asked nervously.

The girl smiled a little wider, her eyes sparkling behind her usual dreamy stare. "Who knows?" She repeated mysteriously. "May I help you choose what to wear for your date?" She started to walk down the corridor, and Harry exchanged a look with Ginny and Draco, all of them clearly thinking the same thing and deciding they didn't want to know. They shot off down the corridor after her, laughing wildly.


End file.
